Worries Are Like Clouds
This unit works with the picture book: Worries Are Like Clouds and supports children to explore what worry is, how it feels in their body, and how they can express worry in a healthy way. The first learning experience in the Worries Are Like Clouds unit is called Jar of Joy. The second learning…
Read MoreTau’olunga Mai
Tau’olunga is a traditional Tongan dance. This embodied activity helps children bring awareness to their surroundings and connections through song and dance. You are welcome to adapt this activity to a dance/song from your culture. This can be incorporated as a daily practice to support students to foster a mind-body connection and ground to the…
Read MoreKeeping the Scaries Away Shop
This learning experience provides prompts for creating a play space where the children create an imaginary store that will keep the “scaries” away. It is designed to be offered to children after you have facilitated the Scared Stuffy learning experience. If you do not want to facilitate the Scared Stuffy, you could offer these play…
Read MoreWhat Is Hope?
This learning sequence is designed to help children (and teachers) gain greater insight into the notion of hope. The sequence begins with the educator sharing a picture book or short animated film. The educator then employs the teacher in role convention and acts as one of the characters from the book/film. The sequence concludes with…
Read MoreKa ora te whenua, ka ora te tāngata
When the land is well, the people will be well. This learning experience offers opportunities for tamariki (children) to explore their individual and collective relationship with te taiao (the beyond human world) as a means to support wellbeing and the wellbeing of te taiao. This unit of work was created by Emma Parangi, Yasmine Slater,…
Read MoreRe-Membering The Branch
This learning experience explores themes of losing something precious to you. It uses the teacher in role convention where the teacher pretends to be a tree who has lost its branch. This learning experience also engages visual arts through crayon rubbings of the branch and leaves. Check out the professional development video (link below) for…
Read MoreVisiting the Star Family
This learning experience takes the children on an imaginary trip to Space where they meet with a Star Family, exploring the topic of caring for families, having dreams and wishes, and navigating change. Check out the professional development video (link below) for an example of how the learning experience was facilitated. This unit of work…
Read MoreThe Magic Seashell
OVERARCHING VALUES: VALUING PASIFIKA WAYS OF BEING AND KNOWING – WITH AND FOR ALL PEOPLE Experiencing this learning should be savoured by all, so allow good time for each part. Remember that this is about relationships – so really encourage the talanoa. Make alongside the students where you can. In your talk and making, share…
Read MoreThe Long and Short Of It
This lesson sequence uses the visual arts to support students in re-connecting with people in their class and starting to explore emotions post a traumatic/crisis event. The approach outlined also encourages the development of creative dispositional qualities that support positive mental wellbeing. In this unit, students will explore and experiment with using the visual arts…
Read MoreMaking a Kahoa Kakala
OVERARCHING VALUES: VALUING PASIFIKA WAYS OF BEING AND KNOWING – WITH AND FOR ALL PEOPLE Experiencing this learning should be savoured by all, so allow good time for each part. Remember that this is about relationships – so really encourage the talanoa. Make alongside the students where you can. In your talk and making, share…
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